Mine-ventilating system



Patented June '1, 1 926 mas-sameness SYSTEM:

Application filed September 6, 1924. Serial No. 7 36;325-

Thisinvention relates tomeans for veni til'ating-mines'or other underground work lngs in which foul any dust or explosive exit an pipe 12 air passing into the chain mixtures are liable to accumulate.

Ordinarily mines and the like are ventilated by induced draft, the air being put into movementby fires at the bottom of PItS.

or stacks, or by suction fans. Such. sysf terns are very inefiective and many dead areas usually exist in which there is no movement of "air owing to the natural tendency of the air to follow the paths of least resistance to the outlet. fore is'to devise a ventilating system which will provide ample ventilation at all parts of a mine, and which will enable the ventilation at any given part of the mine to be perfectly controlled.

I attain my object by means of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing which is a 'diagrammatical view showing part of a mine provided with my improved ventilating system. V

l'are a series of mine chambers, which, as usual, communicate with a common exit passage 2. This, as usual, is connected by short cross passages 3 with a parallel pas-'- sage 4 with which other chambers similar to 1-1 will usually communicate.-

5 is a blast fan of suitable dimensions,

which may be driven-in any-suitable manner. From this blast fan leads an air pipe 6, which is provided with branches 7 leading to the various chambers. A gate 8, which is normally closed,prevents back flow through the exit 2.

From this arrangement it follows that every chamber in a series isindependently supplied with air under pressure, which air passes to the common exit 2 and thence out at the other end, assuming the cross passages 3 to be'closed. Ordinarily these'passages will be provided with closures 9 having openings therein which may be stopped more or less at any time if desired by any suitable plugs 19. By this arrangement more or less foul air can be taken off from the exit passage 2 at any desired point and led back through the passage 4to the head of the mine.

Owing to frictional losses, it will usually be desirable in extensive workings to pro vide a booster arrangement so that all the work is not thrown on the fan 5. In the mine is therefore provided a suitable chamber 10 in which is located a booster fan 11,

My object there- I which is "d{riven in any suitable manner. l vit h-t his chamber the air pipe (Ecohnimhicates, so that the fan will force through its her from theexit 2 aswel1 as air passing from thepipe 6. An extension 13 of the exit passage is provided'which isseparated by the gate 14 from the exit passage-2, thus preventing back flow in the exit 1 3130 1312 fart-131 Any desired number of chamberswhich expanding into the various chambers, gives a much better supply of air than is possible with the ordinary suction systems. in every part of the workings may be ob- Furthermore, perfect circulation tained and this circulation is under perfect control by means of the gates and other control means shown. v

In my own prior Patents Nos. 1,376,082 of April 26th,-1921, and No. 1,434,879 of November 7t h,1922, I have set forth the importance of moisture in preventing explosionsin dust laden air particularly in grain elevators and the like. A proper degree of moisture in the air ofmines is also of great'im'portance and if the air in the mine is normally too dry the air forced into it may be tempered in any desired way by the addition of moisture or by modifying its temperature. The'air pressure employed j I may Vary from 1 to 20 ozs. per inch ac cording to circumstances. The smaller the air pipes the greater thepressure necessary to supply a sufiicient quantity of air.

It will be understood, of course, that the outlets of the branch pipes will be varied by means of control gates 18 according to their distance from the source of supply to ensure equality of distribution.

That I claim is:'

1. In a mine or the like having a plurality of chambers arranged in a series and having a common exit passage, an air pipe; branches from the airpipe leading to the different chambers at pointsromote from the communications with the exit passage; means for forcing air under pressure into the air pipe to flow in parallel through said chambers to the exit passage; means for controlling flow at one end of said passage; and means for venting said passage intermediate of its ends.

2. In a mine or the like having a plurality of chambers arranged in a series and having a common exit passage an air pipe; branches from the air pipe leading to the different chambers at points remote from the communications with the exit passage; means for forcing air under pressure into the air pipe to flow in parallel through said chambers to the exit passage; means for controlling flow at one end of said passage;

means for venting said passage intermediate of its ends; and means for controlling the flow in said passage intermedlate of its ends.

3. In a mine or the like having a plurahty of chambers arranged in a series and havlng a common exit passage; an air pipe;

branches from the air pipe leading to the difierent chambers; means for forcing air under pressure into the air pipe; a blower chamber to which said air pipe leads and which also communicates with the exit passage; a second series of chambers arranged in a series and having a common exit passage in communication with the first mentioned exit passage; means for controlling the communication between the two passages; a blower in the blower chamber; an air pipe leading from said blower; and branches from said air pipe leading to the different chambers of the second series.

Signed at Niagara Falls, Ont, Aug. 12, 192 1.

ROWAN THOMPSON FlFE DODDS. 

